Welcome to November and the last week for this six weeks. That's right. The 2nd six weeks ends this Friday, November 8. Be sure that all work is caught up this week, so that grades will be accurate.
This week in DE
We are in the midst of the first unit on AOI logic. Last week, we learned the relationship between logic expressions and truth tables, which are simply two different means of expressing a logic relationship. The next step this week will be to build a logic circuit from the expression. The ultimate goal of most of our learning in DE is to be able to design a circuit. After designing the circuit, the final step would be to build that circuit on the breadboards.
There are 2 videos available for the lessons this week. Be sure that you watch the video for logic analysis before the first class of the week and then the one for logic implementation (that would be creating the circuits on a breadboard) for the second class this week.
We will also begin creating a circuit for the Majority Vote project, where we are given the description of a circuit to be designed and have to come up with the truth table and unsimplified logic expression to create. Later on, we will learn to simplify logic expressions via two different means, and that will wrap up the introduction to AOI.
If you are attending the Texas State Ingram School of Engineering visit this Friday, you MUST turn in the permission forms for both the Skillpoint Alliance and RRISD waiver to me on Monday or Tuesday at the latest. You must also have your teachers sign off that you are passing all classes and acknowledge that you know that you are responsible for work that might be missed. If you are planning to ride the bus to the Future A&M Engineers (FAME) on November 16-17, get a permission form from me this week to have signed and returned.
This Week at RRHS
As noted above, this is the last week for the second six weeks of the year. Be sure that you are staying on top of grades and have everything completed and turned in by this Friday. If you are submitting an assignment that has already been graded, please point that out to me so that I know to check your journal specifically for those items.
College Visits This Week
Monday - University of Texas at San Antonio
Thursday - University of North Texas
I have this information on my Scholar$hips tab, but the Milwaukee School of Engineering is the Wisconsin hub for Project Lead the Way. They offer $3000 per year for 4 years to students who complete PLTW courses in high school to enroll in engineering at MSOE. I have a poster in the room that you can consult for more information or check out the link provided here. This is a good time to encourage you to check out that Scholar$hip tab as well as the one for Internships and summer work opportunities. I update that as I get information from colleges and potential employers looking for STEM students in their junior or senior years in high school.
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Week of Oct 29
This week, we will start studying logic expressions and learn how to write logic expressions from the truth table and from a circuit diagram as well as the other way around. Both lessons will have a video to instruct you what you should be doing for the assignments. At the end of this unit, we will create our most complex circuit to date on Multisim and then bread-board it. At this point, neatness counts, so pay attention to your wire routing and selection of individual devices so that your circuit is as easy to trouble-shoot and problem free as possible.
There are actually 2 different videos for class in the first part of the week: one to create the logic expression from a truth table and the other to create the truth table given a logic expression.
We will then go between logic expressions and circuit diagrams in the latter part of the week.
This Week at RRHS
We have a late start on Thursday, so there will be no tutorials and school begins at 9:25 on Thursday. Friday will be a pep rally schedule.
College Rep Visits this Week
Monday - University of Texas
Tuesday - Texas A&M
Field Trip
On Friday, November 8, you can visit Texas State University's school of engineering. There is no cost; they will provide lunch; and you may ride the bus from RRHS to San Marcos. The bus will leave RRHS from the 700 bldg bus loop (along Lake Creek Street) at 7:30 a.m. Be on time since we need to be in San Marcos before 9:00. We will return around 3:30 or 3:45, in time for the end of the school day. If you are interested, you need to fill out this form to let me know that you are interested and see me for 2 different permision forms that will need to be completed and returned to me this week.
There are actually 2 different videos for class in the first part of the week: one to create the logic expression from a truth table and the other to create the truth table given a logic expression.
We will then go between logic expressions and circuit diagrams in the latter part of the week.
This Week at RRHS
We have a late start on Thursday, so there will be no tutorials and school begins at 9:25 on Thursday. Friday will be a pep rally schedule.
College Rep Visits this Week
Monday - University of Texas
Tuesday - Texas A&M
Field Trip
On Friday, November 8, you can visit Texas State University's school of engineering. There is no cost; they will provide lunch; and you may ride the bus from RRHS to San Marcos. The bus will leave RRHS from the 700 bldg bus loop (along Lake Creek Street) at 7:30 a.m. Be on time since we need to be in San Marcos before 9:00. We will return around 3:30 or 3:45, in time for the end of the school day. If you are interested, you need to fill out this form to let me know that you are interested and see me for 2 different permision forms that will need to be completed and returned to me this week.
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Week of Oct 21
This week in class
I don't expect a video for this week until the class on Friday, which will be over binary number conversions. Some of you may already know binary numbers quite well. You should already be finished with all of the sequential logic assignments. If you are not, then get this done right away even if it takes some tutorial time. We will cover data sheets and device info on Monday & Tuesday and solder the game board counter this week. The binary numbers will start on Friday (A day) and Monday (B day).
This week at RRHS
There are no special schedules this week (no late start, pep rally, etc.). However, Friday is the last day for the progress reporting period. Make sure that your grades are all up to date before Friday so that your report is accurate. If I graded an assignment and you had your journal at home, make sure to show it to me the next class day so that I can update that grade.
College Rep Visits This Week
Tuesday - U.S. Army
Next week:
Monday (Oct 28) - The University of Texas
Tuesday (Oct 29) - Texas A&M University
Opportunities for Aspiring Engineers
HAS/WISH
Each year, NASA hosts the High School Aerospace Scholars (HAS) program. High school students can apply to NASA on the link provided, but applications must be in by November 15. If selected, you will get to participate in a series of on-line training sessions and discussions with NASA engineers and other selected students. A select group from that will be selected in the spring to attend a week long camp at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC) next summer. Student teams will work alongside NASA engineers on a space design project and present their solution to JSC engineers and executives. Best of all, the cost is completely free, including lodging and transportation to JSC in Houston.
If you are interested in the above, and are one of our female students, then consider the WISH program (Women in STEM High School). It is very much the same thing except for being limited to girls only, and the deadline to apply is December 1. Consider applying to both to increase your chances.
If you are interested in visiting the Ingram School of Engineering at Texas State in San Marcos, be sure that you sign up and then get two permission forms from me: one for Texas State and the other for RRISD. The visit will be Friday, November 8, which is an A day. The bus will leave from the 700 bldg bus loop at 7:30 a.m. and return to RRHS around 3:45. If you are interested, let me know right away since the event date is near. You will also need to fill out a survey for Texas State on your interests in engineering.
Finally, make sure that you have signed up on my information form if you are attending FAME at A&M on November 16-17, even if you are providing your own transportation. I would like to know which of our students are attending. If you want to ride a bus over there, then you definitely need to fill out that form and get a permission form from me.
I don't expect a video for this week until the class on Friday, which will be over binary number conversions. Some of you may already know binary numbers quite well. You should already be finished with all of the sequential logic assignments. If you are not, then get this done right away even if it takes some tutorial time. We will cover data sheets and device info on Monday & Tuesday and solder the game board counter this week. The binary numbers will start on Friday (A day) and Monday (B day).
This week at RRHS
There are no special schedules this week (no late start, pep rally, etc.). However, Friday is the last day for the progress reporting period. Make sure that your grades are all up to date before Friday so that your report is accurate. If I graded an assignment and you had your journal at home, make sure to show it to me the next class day so that I can update that grade.
College Rep Visits This Week
Tuesday - U.S. Army
Next week:
Monday (Oct 28) - The University of Texas
Tuesday (Oct 29) - Texas A&M University
Opportunities for Aspiring Engineers
HAS/WISH
Each year, NASA hosts the High School Aerospace Scholars (HAS) program. High school students can apply to NASA on the link provided, but applications must be in by November 15. If selected, you will get to participate in a series of on-line training sessions and discussions with NASA engineers and other selected students. A select group from that will be selected in the spring to attend a week long camp at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC) next summer. Student teams will work alongside NASA engineers on a space design project and present their solution to JSC engineers and executives. Best of all, the cost is completely free, including lodging and transportation to JSC in Houston.
If you are interested in the above, and are one of our female students, then consider the WISH program (Women in STEM High School). It is very much the same thing except for being limited to girls only, and the deadline to apply is December 1. Consider applying to both to increase your chances.
If you are interested in visiting the Ingram School of Engineering at Texas State in San Marcos, be sure that you sign up and then get two permission forms from me: one for Texas State and the other for RRISD. The visit will be Friday, November 8, which is an A day. The bus will leave from the 700 bldg bus loop at 7:30 a.m. and return to RRHS around 3:45. If you are interested, let me know right away since the event date is near. You will also need to fill out a survey for Texas State on your interests in engineering.
Finally, make sure that you have signed up on my information form if you are attending FAME at A&M on November 16-17, even if you are providing your own transportation. I would like to know which of our students are attending. If you want to ride a bus over there, then you definitely need to fill out that form and get a permission form from me.
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Week of Oct 7
In class This Week
We will finish up the unit studying the basics of analog electronics. After you analyze the analog section of the game board counter, we will do the 2nd soldering project: the game board counter itself. Make sure that you read the directions carefully so that you put the components in to the board in the correct order and that show me your working board when finished.
Since these two items are closing out the existing unit, I don't expect any videos for this week.
This week is a late start on Thursday and begins the 2nd six weeks. However, be warned that this "six weeks" is really only 5 weeks long. Progress reports come out after 3 weeks, which means that you will only have about a week and a half after they go home before the end of the six weeks.
We will finish up the unit studying the basics of analog electronics. After you analyze the analog section of the game board counter, we will do the 2nd soldering project: the game board counter itself. Make sure that you read the directions carefully so that you put the components in to the board in the correct order and that show me your working board when finished.
Since these two items are closing out the existing unit, I don't expect any videos for this week.
This week is a late start on Thursday and begins the 2nd six weeks. However, be warned that this "six weeks" is really only 5 weeks long. Progress reports come out after 3 weeks, which means that you will only have about a week and a half after they go home before the end of the six weeks.
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Week of Sep 30
In Class This Week
Be sure to leave your journals (and make sure that they are up to date) so that I can get journals graded before the end of the six weeks (Friday!). I am checking the first circuit calculations, the analog and digital signals activity, and the new circuit calculations activity this week.
Monday, we will finish the circuit calculations & simulation and be ready to move on. Be sure that you watch the video on 555 timer calculations before class on Wednesday or Thursday and then over combinational logic for the end of the week.
Be sure to leave your journals (and make sure that they are up to date) so that I can get journals graded before the end of the six weeks (Friday!). I am checking the first circuit calculations, the analog and digital signals activity, and the new circuit calculations activity this week.
Monday, we will finish the circuit calculations & simulation and be ready to move on. Be sure that you watch the video on 555 timer calculations before class on Wednesday or Thursday and then over combinational logic for the end of the week.
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Week of Sep 23
Classes will finish up soldering and then do the breadboarding activity. If you haven't you should watch the breadboarding video and wirestripping video before class Tuesday or Wednesday. If you already watched them, there is no need to do so again unless you want the review. The circuits that we are building are extremely simple, so building these circuits will get you some good experience before we start on the more complex digital logic circuits. Towards the end of the week, we will start the study of digital and analog signals. Make sure that you have finished the soldering, circuit calculations, circuit simulations, and breadboarding by Thursday. There is another soldering activity that we will do later in October (which isn't that far away!).
On Wednesday, we will do a final breadboarding lesson. Watch the video to understand how to measure current and voltage in series circuits and parallel circuits (and each one is measured differently).
There is no late start this Thursday, so school will start at the normal 9:05 on Thursday. However, we will be on the pep rally schedule on Friday. School will start and end at the normal time, but 1st, 2nd, and 4th periods will be shortened a little bit to make room for the pep rally at the end of the day.
College Visits This Week
Monday - Seattle University
University of New Hampshire
Tuesday - High Point University
Thursday - University of Memphis
RRISD College Fair (6 p.m.)
Friday - Baylor University
Texas Christian University
Future A&M Engineers (FAME) - November 16-17
I am giving you information in class, but Texas A&M sponsors an overnight event that exposes high school students to the world of engineering and the study of engineering on the A&M campus. This event is hosted and run by the Texas A&M Student Engineers' Council. You will need to register through the SEC FAME site directly with A&M. The cost is $45 (paid to A&M SEC), and students will be under the supervision of the student engineers' council for the weekend. Events (check out their itinerary) include a campus tour, tours of and demonstrations by the various engineering departments, and an engineering challenge that students will solve in teams. The solutions will be judged on Sunday morning before the event closes. Students will attend a "lock-in" at Aerofit in Bryan Saturday night. If you are interested, be sure to register with SEC right away to ensure your space as the registration is filling up quickly. Once accepted, you will need to fill out the waiver and expectations forms for A&M.
In addition, we will provide a bus for transportation to College Station on Saturday, Nov 16 and back to RRHS on Sunday after the event. Please fill out this form so that I will know who is interested in attending and who will be riding on a bus. You will need to fill out an additional RRISD waiver form in order to ride the bus.
The only cost to you would be the $45 (which includes the lock-in, lunch & dinner on Saturday, and a FAME t-shirt) and any money that you might need for breakfast Saturday morning and Sunday lunch before we get home.
On Wednesday, we will do a final breadboarding lesson. Watch the video to understand how to measure current and voltage in series circuits and parallel circuits (and each one is measured differently).
There is no late start this Thursday, so school will start at the normal 9:05 on Thursday. However, we will be on the pep rally schedule on Friday. School will start and end at the normal time, but 1st, 2nd, and 4th periods will be shortened a little bit to make room for the pep rally at the end of the day.
College Visits This Week
Monday - Seattle University
University of New Hampshire
Tuesday - High Point University
Thursday - University of Memphis
RRISD College Fair (6 p.m.)
Friday - Baylor University
Texas Christian University
Future A&M Engineers (FAME) - November 16-17
I am giving you information in class, but Texas A&M sponsors an overnight event that exposes high school students to the world of engineering and the study of engineering on the A&M campus. This event is hosted and run by the Texas A&M Student Engineers' Council. You will need to register through the SEC FAME site directly with A&M. The cost is $45 (paid to A&M SEC), and students will be under the supervision of the student engineers' council for the weekend. Events (check out their itinerary) include a campus tour, tours of and demonstrations by the various engineering departments, and an engineering challenge that students will solve in teams. The solutions will be judged on Sunday morning before the event closes. Students will attend a "lock-in" at Aerofit in Bryan Saturday night. If you are interested, be sure to register with SEC right away to ensure your space as the registration is filling up quickly. Once accepted, you will need to fill out the waiver and expectations forms for A&M.
In addition, we will provide a bus for transportation to College Station on Saturday, Nov 16 and back to RRHS on Sunday after the event. Please fill out this form so that I will know who is interested in attending and who will be riding on a bus. You will need to fill out an additional RRISD waiver form in order to ride the bus.
The only cost to you would be the $45 (which includes the lock-in, lunch & dinner on Saturday, and a FAME t-shirt) and any money that you might need for breakfast Saturday morning and Sunday lunch before we get home.
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Week of Sep 16
This week, we will continue the circuit simulation work. You should definitely be completed with the hand calculations and on to simulating them using Multisim. We will start building these same circuits on the breadboards on Monday & Tuesday in class. Make sure that you watch the 2 videos before you come to class: one on wire stripping and the other on the basics of breadboards and how to use them. Please watch the videos so that you can use all of the class time on the equipment and software that you may not have available at home. I have a guest speaker coming to the classes on Wednesday & Thursday. Mr. Jason Wilson is an electronics repair expert and manager for Dave & Busters. He knows about soldering and electronics repair, so he will be here to show you how to solder and has even promised to show all of us (including me) how to de-solder components when necessary.
As you get in to using Multisim, you may want to get access to a copy at home. It isn't free like the Autodesk software suite used in IED and CEA, but Multisim does offer it at a significant discount. At this link, you can download a 30 day free trial copy of the software or purchase a license for $40, a significant discount over the retail price of the software. It isn't necessary, but some of you may want to have a copy at home to work with.
STEM-related Clubs
If you are interested in helping us to start an engineering club, come to Mrs. Saksena's room (603) Thursday after school for the kick-off meeting. Many options are open right now regarding what the club can do and how it operates.
Also, the robotics club is now going in full swing. If you are interested, we will meet in my room (601) Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday after school to plan and begin building our solution to the BEST challenge for this year. You don't have to attend every meeting. I planned multiple meetings because many of you have conflicts on one particular day and because we will need the time to complete our build and test before competition day, October 26, which will be held at RRHS!
Cyberpatriots is going to kick off this week in my room (601) on Tuesday. Cyberpatriots teams compete in a competition in November where you will be given computer image(s) with security holes. Your task will be to find the security risks in the software and resolve them. CP teams learn about many different operating systems (like Windows 8, Ubuntu, and more) and what changes to their settings to make them more secure.
This Week at RRHS
Thursday is another late start.
Grades are due on Monday, and IPRs (Interim Progress Reports) will be distributed to students during 2nd period on Wednesday.
College Visits this week
Monday: University of Chicago
Tuesday: Abilene Christian University
Johnson & Wales University
Wednesday: California Baptist University
Friday: Rice University
As you get in to using Multisim, you may want to get access to a copy at home. It isn't free like the Autodesk software suite used in IED and CEA, but Multisim does offer it at a significant discount. At this link, you can download a 30 day free trial copy of the software or purchase a license for $40, a significant discount over the retail price of the software. It isn't necessary, but some of you may want to have a copy at home to work with.
STEM-related Clubs
If you are interested in helping us to start an engineering club, come to Mrs. Saksena's room (603) Thursday after school for the kick-off meeting. Many options are open right now regarding what the club can do and how it operates.
Also, the robotics club is now going in full swing. If you are interested, we will meet in my room (601) Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday after school to plan and begin building our solution to the BEST challenge for this year. You don't have to attend every meeting. I planned multiple meetings because many of you have conflicts on one particular day and because we will need the time to complete our build and test before competition day, October 26, which will be held at RRHS!
Cyberpatriots is going to kick off this week in my room (601) on Tuesday. Cyberpatriots teams compete in a competition in November where you will be given computer image(s) with security holes. Your task will be to find the security risks in the software and resolve them. CP teams learn about many different operating systems (like Windows 8, Ubuntu, and more) and what changes to their settings to make them more secure.
This Week at RRHS
Thursday is another late start.
Grades are due on Monday, and IPRs (Interim Progress Reports) will be distributed to students during 2nd period on Wednesday.
College Visits this week
Monday: University of Chicago
Tuesday: Abilene Christian University
Johnson & Wales University
Wednesday: California Baptist University
Friday: Rice University
Sunday, September 8, 2013
Open House September 9
Parents, I would love to meet you at the RRHS Open House next Monday, September 9 at 6:00 p.m. The evening will kick off with a PTSA meeting, and you will then follow the student's schedule through all 8 periods. It is a quick opportunity for you to meet the teachers and learn about the different classes that your student are taking. If you are unable to attend in the evening, we are having a reverse open house offered the morning of Thursday September 12 from 8:00 until 9:00. You will need to make appointments with the teachers for that morning event.
Robotics
The robotics club will meet this Monday in my room, 601. If you are interested, let me know or show up to our first meeting. The kickoff for the competition is this Saturday. Meet at the front of the 100 bldg and be ready to leave by 8:00 a.m. We will learn what the challenge for this year's competition will be as well as get some good training that will help us succeed. I will have a bus to take us to Freescale semiconductor for the kick-off. Bring money for lunch, and we should return to the school by 4:00.
Robotics
The robotics club will meet this Monday in my room, 601. If you are interested, let me know or show up to our first meeting. The kickoff for the competition is this Saturday. Meet at the front of the 100 bldg and be ready to leave by 8:00 a.m. We will learn what the challenge for this year's competition will be as well as get some good training that will help us succeed. I will have a bus to take us to Freescale semiconductor for the kick-off. Bring money for lunch, and we should return to the school by 4:00.
This week
I am waiting on the solder practice kits before we can finish the foundation unit. Keep in touch with remind101 (see instructions to sign up) to know what videos to watch.
I will do the first journal check this week. Make sure to update your table of contents, sign (or initial) and number each page of your journal. This Friday is the last day for grades before progress reports.
I will do the first journal check this week. Make sure to update your table of contents, sign (or initial) and number each page of your journal. This Friday is the last day for grades before progress reports.
Monday, September 2, 2013
Week of Sep 2
We will begin solder practice this week. Be sure to watch the soldering video before the classes that begin on Wednesday. I have also posted a video from another teacher and some soldering tips in Moodle. There will be no quiz over these videos, but it may provide some additional tips and insight in to good soldering practice.
Be sure that you have glued or taped the resistor color codes in to your journals as well as the table with your results from the resistor identification lab. Also, I will remind you in class to sign, date, and number each page in your journal as I will start taking journal grades next week.
Be sure to check the post from last week if you have not signed up for Remind 101 or given me your contact and background information. I am sending out reminders when it is time to watch a video before class.
Be sure that you have glued or taped the resistor color codes in to your journals as well as the table with your results from the resistor identification lab. Also, I will remind you in class to sign, date, and number each page in your journal as I will start taking journal grades next week.
Be sure to check the post from last week if you have not signed up for Remind 101 or given me your contact and background information. I am sending out reminders when it is time to watch a video before class.
Open House September 9
Make plans to attend the RRHS Open House next Monday, September 9 at 6:00 p.m. The evening will kick off with a PTSA meeting, and you will then follow the student's schedule through all 8 periods. It is a quick opportunity for you to meet the teachers and learn about the different classes that your student are taking. If you are unable to attend in the evening, we are having a reverse open house offered the morning of Thursday September 12 from 8:00 until 9:00. You will need to make appointments with the teachers for that morning event.
Moodle Down Tuesday evening
Moodle 2 will be down Tuesday evening from 7:00 - 11:00 You will not have access to Moodle during this time, so make sure that you have what you need before 7:00 p.m. There will not be any assignments to turn during that time, but you will need to access the videos. I have re-linked them here for you. You don't have to watch both videos, but make sure that you have watched at least one of them.
My solder video
Here is another video with some good tips but a bit long (34 minutes).
This is a page with some written (not a video) soldering tips.
College Visits This Week
These are posted on the RRHS counselor's pages, but I will update you here with the ones for each week.
Thursday (Sep 12) University of Houston
Friday (Sep 13) Rochester Institute of Technology (where you can get and use high school credits for engineering classes)
Moodle Down Tuesday evening
Moodle 2 will be down Tuesday evening from 7:00 - 11:00 You will not have access to Moodle during this time, so make sure that you have what you need before 7:00 p.m. There will not be any assignments to turn during that time, but you will need to access the videos. I have re-linked them here for you. You don't have to watch both videos, but make sure that you have watched at least one of them.
My solder video
Here is another video with some good tips but a bit long (34 minutes).
This is a page with some written (not a video) soldering tips.
College Visits This Week
These are posted on the RRHS counselor's pages, but I will update you here with the ones for each week.
Thursday (Sep 12) University of Houston
Friday (Sep 13) Rochester Institute of Technology (where you can get and use high school credits for engineering classes)
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Welcome to DE!
Welcome back to a new school year and the Digital Electronics class. I am excited about the engineering program and a number of the things that we will be doing this year inside the classroom and out. Make sure that you check this site regularly to keep up with, all of those things. I will notify you of what we will be doing in class, when there are videos or other activities that need to be completed outside of class, and field trips or special events.
Check out the related pages on the top right side of this page. I have one for scholarships for which you may apply, internships and work opportunities, and college recruiting visits. You may even feel free to browse some of the older posts on those pages as many of the items are either ongoing or recurring. You may find that the links are useful for finding available scholarships and internships even if the stated deadline has passed.
The DE class is different than other classes that you are used to. You will build electronic circuits and, in most cases, have to trouble shoot to find out why they don't work as designed. The designs that we give you are good, but the circuit construction has many potential pitfalls. It takes time to go through the aspects of the circuits to isolate and fix those problems. This problem-solving is a major focus of DE and therefore is worthy of the time invested. However, it is difficult to accomplish this and get all of the background theory in one 90 minute class period.
That is why I adopted a relatively new teaching concept that involves reversing the traditional homework - class lecture cycle. In DE, students will get the basic theory, operational instructions, and example problems BEFORE class at home, usually by watching a video that I have created to explain the concepts. That way, when students come to class, they can spend more of the full 90 minutes building the circuits, testing them, and correcting problems so that they function correctly. The videos are posted on Youtube and in the class Moodle, and I encourage students to check both frequently for updates. This short video describes a little more about the class and how it will operate and is worthwhile for both students and parents to review as we start this year.
I also encourage students and parents alike to sign up for the DE reminders at Remind 101.com The instructions to sign up can be found here, but this is a Twitter-like (short) text delivery system which I can use to send out reminders about assignments, deadlines and other key class information. You can sign up with your mobile phone and/or your email account, depending on which you would prefer, and it does not give me your information. The only thing that I see is your name and which list you are signed up on (in this case, DE). Please make sure to sign up so that you can keep up.
Finally, fill out my information contact form and let me know how to best reach you and also some information about your student that will help me guide them better as we explore engineering and prepare for the future.
Check out the related pages on the top right side of this page. I have one for scholarships for which you may apply, internships and work opportunities, and college recruiting visits. You may even feel free to browse some of the older posts on those pages as many of the items are either ongoing or recurring. You may find that the links are useful for finding available scholarships and internships even if the stated deadline has passed.
The DE class is different than other classes that you are used to. You will build electronic circuits and, in most cases, have to trouble shoot to find out why they don't work as designed. The designs that we give you are good, but the circuit construction has many potential pitfalls. It takes time to go through the aspects of the circuits to isolate and fix those problems. This problem-solving is a major focus of DE and therefore is worthy of the time invested. However, it is difficult to accomplish this and get all of the background theory in one 90 minute class period.
That is why I adopted a relatively new teaching concept that involves reversing the traditional homework - class lecture cycle. In DE, students will get the basic theory, operational instructions, and example problems BEFORE class at home, usually by watching a video that I have created to explain the concepts. That way, when students come to class, they can spend more of the full 90 minutes building the circuits, testing them, and correcting problems so that they function correctly. The videos are posted on Youtube and in the class Moodle, and I encourage students to check both frequently for updates. This short video describes a little more about the class and how it will operate and is worthwhile for both students and parents to review as we start this year.
I also encourage students and parents alike to sign up for the DE reminders at Remind 101.com The instructions to sign up can be found here, but this is a Twitter-like (short) text delivery system which I can use to send out reminders about assignments, deadlines and other key class information. You can sign up with your mobile phone and/or your email account, depending on which you would prefer, and it does not give me your information. The only thing that I see is your name and which list you are signed up on (in this case, DE). Please make sure to sign up so that you can keep up.
Finally, fill out my information contact form and let me know how to best reach you and also some information about your student that will help me guide them better as we explore engineering and prepare for the future.
Friday, May 24, 2013
Congratulations DE Students!
Congratulations! When I realized what was happening, I couldn't contain my excitement. As you should know, you may become eligible for credit through the Rochester Institute of Technology, the University of Texas at Tyler and other universities for PLTW courses taken in high school, including IED, PoE, DE, and CEA.
Everyone who has taken the EoC passed the exam. Even more! 24 of our 28 DE students scored a 6 or better out of 9 on the exam, which qualifies for this college credit. That means that all of our DE students performed significantly better than the national average on this exam. That is a great reward for all of your hard work this year, and I am so proud of each one of you.
Letters will go out in the next two weeks to those of you who qualified, and it will outline the process for application of credit. You would have to pay (usually $200) to the crediting university, and there will be a deadline to make the application. Credit is not an automatic thing. Feel free to ask me if I can help with any additional questions. I will recommend that you check with universities that you plan to attend (or apply) to see how they will handle such credits before you pay out the money for it.
Once again. Congratulations and thank you for all of the hard work this year. Have a great summer.
Everyone who has taken the EoC passed the exam. Even more! 24 of our 28 DE students scored a 6 or better out of 9 on the exam, which qualifies for this college credit. That means that all of our DE students performed significantly better than the national average on this exam. That is a great reward for all of your hard work this year, and I am so proud of each one of you.
Letters will go out in the next two weeks to those of you who qualified, and it will outline the process for application of credit. You would have to pay (usually $200) to the crediting university, and there will be a deadline to make the application. Credit is not an automatic thing. Feel free to ask me if I can help with any additional questions. I will recommend that you check with universities that you plan to attend (or apply) to see how they will handle such credits before you pay out the money for it.
Once again. Congratulations and thank you for all of the hard work this year. Have a great summer.
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Last Post for the Year!
We are now at the end of the 2013-2014 school year. I say this every year, but it has gone by fast.
As I have said previously, the EoC for all engineering classes is required per our contract with PLTW. You will not be eligible to exempt. However, I am moving it up to this Thursday and Friday. You should finish your review before Thursday so that you are well prepared.
- You will be given a formula packet (9 pages) that has any formulas that you need on it. It covers all of the engineering courses that we offer, so much of it is not applicable to DE. However, it does have Ohm's law and Kirchoff's laws, the SI prefixes (milli, kilo, etc.) and other things that may be helpful.
- Beyond formulas, you are allowed one 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper with notes and information that you have handwritten on one side. We gave out some 1/2 sheets of pink paper that you may use to put your notes on both sides of it. I would not waste any space on formulas because of the point above.
- The test is in two parts, each with a 40 minute time limit, and both parts are 100% computer-based. There is no written portion or Inventor example to do.
- The test will be used as our final exam, and it is what qualifies you for college credit through Rochester Institute of Technology, the University of Texas at Tyler, and other colleges.
- You will also get transcripted credit through ACC that will be available to you whenever you register for your first class at ACC. It is automatic. There is nothing that you need to do other than take classes at ACC.
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Week of May 6
For the next 2 weeks, several to many students will be missing from any given class due to AP testing. This last unit, the Boe-Bot, is one that you can work self-paced. The manual is posted in Moodle, and you can work through the various exercises when you are in class and not worry about it when you are testing. We will culminate it with a task to be performed, such as an obstacle course your robot must navigate.
We don't have very much new material left in this year. It has certainly gone fast. Two weeks from now, we will start thinking about preparing for the final exams, and then finals are May 28-31. The final for DE is the End of Course exam that is required by Project Lead the Way for all students. There will be no exemptions for exams in engineering for the spring semester.
The good news, however, is that if you do well in the course and the exam, you will get a letter from me over the summer stating that you have earned the right to get college credit through Rochester Institute of Technology, University of Texas at Tyler, or Texas A&M-Kingsville. In some cases, those credits can be transferred to another school as a transfer credit. Check with whichever school you may be interested in applying to see how they will handle it. You would have to pay the school that is granting you the credit, so you need to decide if it is worth it or not for you. All students who make an 85 in DE for the year will receive articulated credit through ACC, which doesn't cost you anything at all.
The final exam schedule has been released. Be sure to clear up all obligations and get your exemption forms turned in by the deadlines.
Finally, we will be starting an engineering club at RRHS next fall. Five of our current students attended a summit with the other RRISD schools last week and are anxious to begin working on it. If you are interested, let me know so that we can notify you right at the start of school (if not before) next year to get it moving quickly.
I am finished with morning duty for the year, so I should be available most mornings and afternoons through the remainder of the year. Also, the last Late Start and WOW for this year will be May 22 & 23, so the schedule for the next 2 weeks should be normal.
If you are interested in the Aerospace class that we will have next year, I started the blog for it already. Yeah. I'm a little excited about that one. :-) I will post updates over the summer for those who signed up to take the class next year.
If you are interested in the Aerospace class that we will have next year, I started the blog for it already. Yeah. I'm a little excited about that one. :-) I will post updates over the summer for those who signed up to take the class next year.
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Week of April 15
This week may be the last "normal" week of school. We do have a Late Start on Thursday, the last one for the month of April. The next one will be May 2. However, juniors will be taking the last TAKS test next week (April 22 - 25). Everyone besides juniors is expected to continue with classes normally. In the early weeks of May, many students will be involved in more STAAR testing and AP testing.
I don't expect to have any videos this week. Everyone should be completed with the first state machine problem, and we will start the summative project this week. You will create a state machine to operate a toll booth gate, so this will combine the logic of the state machine with hardware operation. The combination will prove a difficult challenge, but one that can be conquered through the problem solving that we have practiced all year long. I expect we will be working on this problem in to next week. However, remember that the juniors in the class will miss all except for Friday next week with their final TAKS.
If you are attending the Dell Social Media field trip this Friday, be sure that you get the forms turned in first thing Monday and sign up on the form so that I have your contact and id information that is needed.
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Week of April 8
Now that STAAR testing is over, we can get back to some sort of normal - at least for a while. Expect more changes in scheduling for the last week of this month for TAKS testing. There is a Late Start this Thursday, but that is the only anomaly. All of the other days should be regular schedules.
Now that the final six weeks is upon us, it is more important than ever to keep on top of your work. There will be less time than ever before to make up assignments with the last day of school now on the horizon. This six weeks is really made up of seven weeks plus the final exam week, that happens after Labor Day.
This is Mr. Peterson's last week with us. Make sure to say good bye to him before Friday. He has done a great job with the classes, and his future students will be very lucky to have him.
I am altering some of the format of this web page slightly. Notice that I have added another tab at the top, called "Internships, Work, and Summer Camps". I had been putting that on the scholarship tab, but these didn't seem to fit. Besides, I am getting enough of them that they deserved their own page. If you haven't yet, check out both tabs. I will post scholarship and other free money (contests) information that gets sent to me on that page. Hopefully, you will get some free money to help with college or, in some cases, just for doing a good job on a given project! The new tab will host all of the information about summer jobs, internships (some paid/some not), and summer camps that should appeal to high school engineering students. On both pages, I provide links for more information as well as applications.
If you are interested in the Dell Social Media trip on Friday April 19, be sure to sign up on this form and complete these forms (completely - all teachers must sign) by this coming Friday. We can only take 40 students, max. You must be passing all of your classes and caught up in your work in order to attend.
This is the first week of the last six weeks. The year will be over soon, but it is not finished yet. We still have work to do before the EOC exam for engineering, which is required of all students. Look for 5th six weeks report cards to come home on Wednesday or Thursday.
Finally (before I talk about class this week), I have created a new site for our newest class, Aerospace Engineering. We will be offering that class next fall, and I am excited about every aspect of it. There isn't much to talk about right now, but as the class starts to take shape over the summer, I will update the page with new developments.
Monday, April 1, 2013
Week of April 1
This is the last week of the six weeks, so you need to make sure that all of your work is complete. If not, we will be here for tutorials every afternoon and morning this week. There are no duties or meetings this week. Only one more six weeks to go, then, after this. Make sure that you have finished all of the other assignments and that I saw your circuit operating.
From here on out, class attendance will be spotty with STAAR tests, TAKS testing (last year of it!), and AP exams. If you are going to miss, let me know as soon as possible so that we can minimize the effect of your absence.
I will grade journals this week. I've already graded the conclusion questions for the last 4 assignments, but you should make sure to have the pages signed, dated, and numbered, table of contents up to date, and include any notes that you made while you were designing your circuits.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Week of March 25
Spring break is over, and we are in the next-to-last week of this six
weeks. That means that all work needs to be finished by next week
(first week of April). Make sure that you are on top of your grades in
the gradebook so that you know where you stand. We have morning duty
this week but will be available after school for tutorials and make-up
work. Next week, we will be available before and after school as
usual. You may take advantage of WOW this week to complete assignments,
if you need the computer lab. There is now WOW next week. This is your chance before the end of the grading period.
Don't forget that this Friday is a school holiday. Enjoy your long weekend with family and friends. Also, Wednesday is WOW, but Thursday is NOT a late start.
As I mentioned in class, you will have 3 days (last Friday, Tuesday, and Thursday) to complete the 2 activities over the synchronous counters, 74LS163 and 74LS193. You will have to breadboard the last circuit design in both activities. After the long weekend, we will have the assessment for this unit, building a "Now Serving" display such as one you might see at the tax office where you get your auto license plates. The last major unit for this year will cover state machines, and it kind of puts together all of the other work we have done this year. Those are important for the EOC that you will take during final exam week.
The only video that you need to worry about this week is the one over the '193 chip.
Don't forget that this Friday is a school holiday. Enjoy your long weekend with family and friends. Also, Wednesday is WOW, but Thursday is NOT a late start.
As I mentioned in class, you will have 3 days (last Friday, Tuesday, and Thursday) to complete the 2 activities over the synchronous counters, 74LS163 and 74LS193. You will have to breadboard the last circuit design in both activities. After the long weekend, we will have the assessment for this unit, building a "Now Serving" display such as one you might see at the tax office where you get your auto license plates. The last major unit for this year will cover state machines, and it kind of puts together all of the other work we have done this year. Those are important for the EOC that you will take during final exam week.
The only video that you need to worry about this week is the one over the '193 chip.
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Week of March 18
Welcome back from Spring Break! I hope that you had a good one. It is hard to believe that we only have 11 more weeks of school left. It will soon be time to start talking about EOC exams. Remember that we will give the required EOC exam during final exam week for DE, so you will not be able to exempt this spring final.
On Monday, you will finish the Sixty Second Timer project, which you (were supposed to have) started before the break. This is the last day for it. If you watched the video for Synchronous counters, you are ahead. We will start them on Wednesday, and the video is available. Make sure that you have watched it before class on Wednesday. I have posted a second video for class on Friday as well, which will introduce one of two MSI synchronous counters with which we will build circuits.
If you are able to help with another demonstration on Saturday (March 23), let me know. I need some students for the RRISD Celebration of Families. We will present to upper elementary age students and parents regarding the engineering programs that we offer and demonstrate some of the projects that we do in our classes. Presentations are from 11:00 until 2:00.
This week, we will have WOW on Wednesday and Late Start on Thursday, so the schedules will be different on those days. If you need a WOW pass to finish the Sixty Second Timer, be sure that you get one from me. Other than that, this is the last week before progress report grades are due. Be sure that you are caught up on everything by Friday so that your grade is a good reflection of your work this six weeks.
You can get the Youtube channel RSS feed on your phone or tablet.
I created an app that will help you monitor updates to the Youtube channel where I post the videos. It is only for an Android device. Apple wants me to pay money in order to be able to do the same thing for iPhones, which is why I am not an Apple fan. They charge you more $$ for things that you can do cheaper (if not free) other places. Bottom line ... don't look for an iPhone app any time soon. Click on this link and download the app on your phone. You can find it in downloads and install from there. It may require some modification of your security setting in order to complete. Let me know how it works or doesn't work.
On Monday, you will finish the Sixty Second Timer project, which you (were supposed to have) started before the break. This is the last day for it. If you watched the video for Synchronous counters, you are ahead. We will start them on Wednesday, and the video is available. Make sure that you have watched it before class on Wednesday. I have posted a second video for class on Friday as well, which will introduce one of two MSI synchronous counters with which we will build circuits.
If you are able to help with another demonstration on Saturday (March 23), let me know. I need some students for the RRISD Celebration of Families. We will present to upper elementary age students and parents regarding the engineering programs that we offer and demonstrate some of the projects that we do in our classes. Presentations are from 11:00 until 2:00.
This week, we will have WOW on Wednesday and Late Start on Thursday, so the schedules will be different on those days. If you need a WOW pass to finish the Sixty Second Timer, be sure that you get one from me. Other than that, this is the last week before progress report grades are due. Be sure that you are caught up on everything by Friday so that your grade is a good reflection of your work this six weeks.
You can get the Youtube channel RSS feed on your phone or tablet.
I created an app that will help you monitor updates to the Youtube channel where I post the videos. It is only for an Android device. Apple wants me to pay money in order to be able to do the same thing for iPhones, which is why I am not an Apple fan. They charge you more $$ for things that you can do cheaper (if not free) other places. Bottom line ... don't look for an iPhone app any time soon. Click on this link and download the app on your phone. You can find it in downloads and install from there. It may require some modification of your security setting in order to complete. Let me know how it works or doesn't work.
Monday, March 4, 2013
Week of March 4
We will finish up the unit on asynchronous counters this week. Make sure that you complete the activities for 3.2.1, 3.2.2 and 3.3.2 and have Mr. Peterson or myself see them working. Make it a goal to get caught up before spring break, so that you can come back afterwards without that burden hanging over your head. We will design counter circuits using medium scale integration, which means that someone has already put the flip flops together as you did in the last activity in a single chip - integrating more gates in to the same sized package. MSI chips are easier to wire up but come at some costs. The last project on the topic of asynchronous counters is to build a sixty second timer before spring break. The prep for both activities is covered in one video, so once you watch it, you should be through with videos until after spring break. Make sure that you watch it before class because there is a pre-class assignment you will need to complete afterward.
I did not complete the journal checks last week, so be sure to leave them in class this week. This is the third week of the six weeks, so grades will be due for IPRs (Interim Progress Reports) shortly after we return from spring break
Also, be sure to watch the $cholar$hip List tab on this page. I post information that I get up there that colleges and companies send to me, who are looking for good engineering students. It includes both scholarships and internships (money tied to a chance to do engineering work over the summer). This is the only paragraph on this post without any mention of spring break.
Next week (March 11 - 15) is spring break. In case you were planning to come to school all week, don't. Enjoy your week off.
I did not complete the journal checks last week, so be sure to leave them in class this week. This is the third week of the six weeks, so grades will be due for IPRs (Interim Progress Reports) shortly after we return from spring break
Also, be sure to watch the $cholar$hip List tab on this page. I post information that I get up there that colleges and companies send to me, who are looking for good engineering students. It includes both scholarships and internships (money tied to a chance to do engineering work over the summer). This is the only paragraph on this post without any mention of spring break.
Next week (March 11 - 15) is spring break. In case you were planning to come to school all week, don't. Enjoy your week off.
My watch is in the shop. It has a spring inside of it. If I wind it too tightly, I think the spring breaks.
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Week of Feb 25
You will continue exploring circuits using flip-flops this week. On Monday, you will create a circuit that will count from a specific starting point to a specific end point ( as opposed to 0 to 2^n) and then learn about a chip that combines several flip-flops in one chip (4 bit counter/frequency divider). Chips that incorporate 10-100 gates on the same device are classified as Medium Scale Integration (MSI).
Be sure to watch the video on asynchronous modulus counters before Monday. The video for Friday is over asynchronous counters on a PLD.
Leave your journals in class this week as I will be grading them. Be sure to follow the usual journal requirements and that you have notes and work on the designs that you have been working on. Also, make sure to answer the conclusion and going further questions in your journal.
Students have the choice sheets to sign up for courses for next year. I created and gave a presentation in class last week that described the course sequence for engineering classes. In order to be recognized as an academy graduate, you must complete IED, PoE, and Digital Electronics (DE). In addition, we offer Civil Engineering and Architecture (CEA) and Aerospace Engineering (AE) as specialization electives. Both courses appear on the choice sheet for next year. If you skipped over PoE this year, you need to go back and take it as it is a prerequisite for all other engineering courses. If you have any questions about the courses, what they involve, or what you should take, get with me.
Monday, February 18, 2013
Week of Feb 18
It is that time of year again - when students begin making choices about classes for next year. For one thing, if you are planning to take the next engineering elective, know that we will be offering Aerospace Engineering next year. The RRISD academy model requires that you take IED, PoE and DE, specifically and may take the specialization electives above and beyond that. Those electives are currently Civil Engineering & Architecture and - now - Aerospace Engineering. The plan is that we will alternate AE with CEA every other year. Both of those are showing up on your course selection sheet for 2013-2014. For now, I would expect that AE will be offered in 2013 and again in 2015. If you are planning on AE, you should make room in your schedule next year in case it is not offered in 2014.
DE classes will continue a study in flip flop chips. This week you will look at various applications that use the flip flop functionality. I have placed the video describing this on Youtube. On Thursday, we will cover asynchronous counters (video linked).
This is the start of a new six weeks. The year is already 2/3 over and going fast! Look for report cards to come home late this week. Also, I graded journals for the six weeks. If you did not leave yours at school, make sure to do so tomorrow so that I can grade it before grades are finally due.
Parents, we have a student teacher for this semester. Mr. Peterson has been with us for a month now but will start taking on more and more of the responsibilities for my classes for the next couple of months. You can still contact me if you have any questions, but I wanted you to know in case you start hearing a new name.
DE classes will continue a study in flip flop chips. This week you will look at various applications that use the flip flop functionality. I have placed the video describing this on Youtube. On Thursday, we will cover asynchronous counters (video linked).
This is the start of a new six weeks. The year is already 2/3 over and going fast! Look for report cards to come home late this week. Also, I graded journals for the six weeks. If you did not leave yours at school, make sure to do so tomorrow so that I can grade it before grades are finally due.
Parents, we have a student teacher for this semester. Mr. Peterson has been with us for a month now but will start taking on more and more of the responsibilities for my classes for the next couple of months. You can still contact me if you have any questions, but I wanted you to know in case you start hearing a new name.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Week of Feb 11
This week, we will move to the next unit on flip flops and latches. These are very useful devices in building digital circuits, as you will see throughout the week. The background info required for Tuesday's class, so I broke it up in to two videos: flip flop basic introduction and how to connect the flip flop for Tuesday's lesson. I will also post a video for Thursday's lesson on the application of flip flops.
This is the last week of the six weeks, so make sure that you are up to date on all of your assignments. To help with that, Wednesday will be a WOW day. Make sure to get a WOW pass from any of your teachers for whom you need to make up or redo work. There is no late start on Thursday, however.
Since this is the last week of the six weeks, I will do a journal check this week. Make sure that your journals are up to date and left in the room so that I can access them.
Don't forget that next Monday (Feb 18) is a student holiday. I hope that you enjoy your 3 day weekend.
3d Printing Challenge Update
The IMAPS conference for this month has been postponed, so the time pressure is off. However, we are going to continue the challenge. If you are interested and have not signed up yet, there is still time. Go to this link and give me contact information so that I can let you know when information comes out. We will assemble a kit of parts that you can use and give to each team that will include an LED light, watch battery and battery holder, and some amount of ink. Each team will experiment with the ink and the printer to vet out various approaches and then select the one that they feel has the best chance of success. Then, you will design with that approach in mind, evaluate and even redesign. Remember that your design not working doesn't mean the project didn't succeed. We are exploring territory here that hasn't been developed yet, so knowing the pitfalls and problems is in itself a success. Check out the history of the rocket industry. Today, we send humans and equipment in to space with regularity, but the industry spent years and years in "failure" as rocket after rocket exploded or rose a few feet in the air and then sank back and crashed back in to the ground. After each failed attempt, the teams analyzed what went wrong and solved the problems - one at a time - to create the scientific and engineering success that we all know today.
We will start meeting weekly with the Novacentrix engineers and possibly others to exchange knowledge. They will be able to share with us their knowledge of the conductive ink, and we will share with them our findings about how it interacts with the 3d printing materials and process.
This is the last week of the six weeks, so make sure that you are up to date on all of your assignments. To help with that, Wednesday will be a WOW day. Make sure to get a WOW pass from any of your teachers for whom you need to make up or redo work. There is no late start on Thursday, however.
Since this is the last week of the six weeks, I will do a journal check this week. Make sure that your journals are up to date and left in the room so that I can access them.
Don't forget that next Monday (Feb 18) is a student holiday. I hope that you enjoy your 3 day weekend.
3d Printing Challenge Update
The IMAPS conference for this month has been postponed, so the time pressure is off. However, we are going to continue the challenge. If you are interested and have not signed up yet, there is still time. Go to this link and give me contact information so that I can let you know when information comes out. We will assemble a kit of parts that you can use and give to each team that will include an LED light, watch battery and battery holder, and some amount of ink. Each team will experiment with the ink and the printer to vet out various approaches and then select the one that they feel has the best chance of success. Then, you will design with that approach in mind, evaluate and even redesign. Remember that your design not working doesn't mean the project didn't succeed. We are exploring territory here that hasn't been developed yet, so knowing the pitfalls and problems is in itself a success. Check out the history of the rocket industry. Today, we send humans and equipment in to space with regularity, but the industry spent years and years in "failure" as rocket after rocket exploded or rose a few feet in the air and then sank back and crashed back in to the ground. After each failed attempt, the teams analyzed what went wrong and solved the problems - one at a time - to create the scientific and engineering success that we all know today.
We will start meeting weekly with the Novacentrix engineers and possibly others to exchange knowledge. They will be able to share with us their knowledge of the conductive ink, and we will share with them our findings about how it interacts with the 3d printing materials and process.
Friday, February 1, 2013
Week of Feb 4
We are starting the unit on programmable logic and get to finally play with the much-anticipated Programmable Logic Boards. These are prototype boards that let you do the troubleshooting we've been doing on the breadboards mostly on the computer. You will design the circuits in Multisim and download directly to the PLD board. Troubleshooting is as "simple" as making changes to Multisim and re-downloading. <pause for groans to cease> Make sure to watch the first video before Monday so that you are ready to dive right in to the boards and start working right away. You will ultimitely recreate your date of birth circuits on the PLD.
Paying for college is expensive. RRHS' PTSA is hosting an information session to help you (and/or your parents) pay for college without going broke. Check out the link or visit the PTSA home page for more information.
This week has both WOW on Wednesday and Late Start on Thursday.
Last desperate plea for Semi High Tech U. This is an incredible opportunity for our you to explore the life of an engineer in a high-tech company and get good advice about how to best prepare yourself for a technical career. The deadline for applications is this Wednesday I will be glad to answer any questions or help you in any way that I can because I know you would enjoy the experience as well as learn from it.
Paying for college is expensive. RRHS' PTSA is hosting an information session to help you (and/or your parents) pay for college without going broke. Check out the link or visit the PTSA home page for more information.
This week has both WOW on Wednesday and Late Start on Thursday.
Last desperate plea for Semi High Tech U. This is an incredible opportunity for our you to explore the life of an engineer in a high-tech company and get good advice about how to best prepare yourself for a technical career. The deadline for applications is this Wednesday I will be glad to answer any questions or help you in any way that I can because I know you would enjoy the experience as well as learn from it.
Monday, January 28, 2013
Week of January 28
This week, we will cover 2's complement arithmetic and the use of multiplexers & demultiplexers. Those are very useful devices in the world of digital technology and even have applications in some non-digital scenarios. The video for Tuesday is already posted. Be sure to watch it before class.
Here is the vid for Thursday as well. Should be short. Everyone needs to get caught up so that we can move on to the FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) boards next week. That will be FUN!
On Thursday night, we are demonstrating some of the cool toys that engineering & robotics students at RRHS get to play with at the Great Oaks Elementary Science Fair. If you are available to help out, let me know. We need student "ambassadors" to show the elementary students what we do in engineering (and in robotics), and the school would like some students seeking volunteer hours to help set up the displays before hand. It is Thursday, January 31. The fair begins at Great Oaks at 6:30. If you could be there at 6:00 or even 5:45 to help set up, that would be great.
Don't forget about the Semi High Tech U. The deadline to apply is Feb 6.
Here is the vid for Thursday as well. Should be short. Everyone needs to get caught up so that we can move on to the FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) boards next week. That will be FUN!
On Thursday night, we are demonstrating some of the cool toys that engineering & robotics students at RRHS get to play with at the Great Oaks Elementary Science Fair. If you are available to help out, let me know. We need student "ambassadors" to show the elementary students what we do in engineering (and in robotics), and the school would like some students seeking volunteer hours to help set up the displays before hand. It is Thursday, January 31. The fair begins at Great Oaks at 6:30. If you could be there at 6:00 or even 5:45 to help set up, that would be great.
Don't forget about the Semi High Tech U. The deadline to apply is Feb 6.
Monday, January 21, 2013
Week of January 21
I hope that you had a restful long weekend. You will have about half of the class period on Wednesday to finish up your date of birth breadboards. Be sure that I see your working breadboard, journal design work and conclusion question responses. On Wednesday, I will assign the first activity from the next unit, which will cover octal and hexadecimal number systems. As this is paper and pencil work, you will be able to do the activity outside of class if you need more time on your breadboard. Regardless, be sure to finish DOB before Thursday even if you need to come in for tutorials outside of class. On Friday, we will introduce the exclusive OR and NOR gates (XOR/XNOR) and binary adders.
Wednesday's Video.
Friday's Video. Be sure to watch Friday.
I will also do a journal check this week. Make sure that you have all of the information that has been given to you; table of contents are up to date; and that each page has a signature, date and number.
Wednesday's Video.
Friday's Video. Be sure to watch Friday.
I will also do a journal check this week. Make sure that you have all of the information that has been given to you; table of contents are up to date; and that each page has a signature, date and number.
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Happy New Year
Welcome back. I hope that you had a great break and are looking forward to a fantastic spring semester in DE. The year is going by very fast, so getting in everything that we need to get done and all of the fun extra things will be a challenge. Right from the start, we have a busy month with activities outside the class on top of continuing to learn about the digital electroincs.
In the class, we will pick back up start by learning to use the 7 segment displays used in calculators and other digital systems. After that, we will finally learn to program circuits on the Programmable Logic Board. It contains a programmable gate array chip that can be programmed, erased, and reprogrammed to test circuits on a "solid state" breadboard, making changes and trouble-shooting easier and faster.
I am even more excited about the flipped classroom model and already working on some new and better methods of recording videos. Be sure to watch the video for Tuesday's class on the design and application of a seven segment display. I will also upload a video for Thursday to help you design a circuit to display your date-of-birth on a seven segment display. (video link added)
Extra-Curricular Projects
Be thinking about teams that you would like to form to participate in the IMAPS Digital Printed Circuit Structures workshop on Feb 21-22. I will explain in class and provide a link with more details, but a team of 4-6 students from RRHS will have a chance to present at this professional workshop, attended and created by professional engineers and engineering faculty members from some of the same colleges to which you may be soon applying. The conference is being held in El Paso, but the team with the best design will have an opportunity to present your project via Skype to an audience of professionals! It should be a lot of fun and a great addition to your college applications not to mention the direct exposure that it will give you before faculty members.
Students can participate in the Stratasys Extreme Redesign 3d Printing Challenge. The challenge is fairly open, but you will select an item that you are familiar with and improve it through redesign. We will cover this in a later unit. Contest entries are due February 6. The linked web site includes contest rules and the application instructions. You will need to submit an STL file for the 3d printer, and I can help you create that. Winning entries in each category (and there are three) will be awarded $2500!
Don't forget about the chance to apply for the SEMI High Tech U, which will be Feb 20, 21, & 22. It is a very fun and very educational 3 day field trip. Of course, you would be responsible for the school work for those days that you miss. However, RRHS students have a chance to apply before applications are opened to students at other schools. That was supposed to happen January 1, but I imagine that you can still get in early before too many others apply. Dowlonad and submit your application RIGHT AWAY!
Finally, we have been invited to display and help with the Great Oaks Elementary Science Fair on January 31. I would like for us to display some of our projects to show how exciting engineering is at high school. We also want 3-4 students to attend and talk with these youngsters about the opportunities available to them. Getting students interested in science and engineering early is one key to growing a strong program at our level.
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